Bread slicing machine



Aug. 13, 1935.

s. DEBUS BREAD SLIC ING MACHINE Filed Opt. 7, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Aug. 13, 1935 PATENT OFFICE BREAD SLICING MACHI NE Sander Debus, Hastings, Nebr assignor to The 7 Micro Corporation, Bettendorf, Iowa, a corporation of Delaware Application October 7, 1929, Serial No...397,905

Claims.

My invention relates to sliced loaves of bread, to methods of slicing a loaf of bread and to machines for carrying out the method.

The primary object of the invention is the 5 provision of a loaf of bread which is sosliced that the slices adhere to each other until separated immediately before use..

Another of my objects'is the provision of a sliced loaf of bread which may pass through the wrapping machinewithout danger of; the accidental separation of the slices from the loaf.

More specifically the object of my invention is the provision of a loaf of bread which is sliced in a manner such that a narrow strip of bread is left uncut so that the loaf will retain its original form and sothat the slices; may be readily separated from each other.

Another object .which I have .in iew is the provision of a, method for slicing a. loaf of bread in a manner such that theslices adhere to each other to retain the normal shapeof the loaf. 1

Still another of my objects is the provision of a. machine for mechanically slicmg the bread loaf in a manner such that the slices will adhere to each other.

Still another of my objects is the provision of a machine which will automatically feed the bread loaves to the slicing. device where they are sliced in the manner aboveindicated, the sliced loaves being delivered from .the cutting device which is adapted to be connected with a wrapping device so that the sliced loaves may be fed from the slicing device to'the wrapping device.

Having in view these objects and others which will be pointed out in the following description,

I will now refer to the drawings, in which 'Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of my bread slicing machine. f I

4 Figure 2 is a view in end elevationfand on a "somewhat larger scale of the bread slicing machine. I I I Figure 3 is a face View of one of the rotary slicing knives.

45 Figure 4 is anillustration showing a loaf of bread after it has passed through the slicing machine.

The machine includes a stand or support Ill to which is secured a platform ll. Four pillars 50 I2 are each secured to the platform H and each side pair of pillars is braced by means of the braces l3. The pillars I4 are also secured to the platform H and they are secured at their upper ends to the braces I3.

The upper and lower rotary cutters l5 and I6 and12 j'also includes means for driving the cutters and for feeding the bread through the cutrespectively are secured 'to shafts l1 and [8 which are journalled respectivelyin'the brace l3 and in the platform ll. .Eachshaft l1 and i8 carries a pluralityv of cutters similar to the one shown in Figure 3, the cutters. beingspaced at 55 such distances from each other as to produce slices, of the desired thickness. It is necessary also that the cutters-i5 and '16 be arranged in pairs which; lie ,insubstantially-the same plane.

For carrying -out. my method and'for producing 10 i a sliced bread loaf of the kind described, it is necessary that the lower edge of the cutter i5 and the upper edge of the cutter it be, spaced a slight'distance from each other *as; shown in Figures 1 and 2. distance must: be such 15 as to leave a continuous strip of bread-between adjacent slices, the stripincluding portions of the crust'at each end of the slice. This strip of bread with the crust end portions must be firm enough tohold the slices of bread together 20 during passage through the wrapping machine and during the normal handling of the bread in a bakery and during transportation. The strip should not be so wide as to make separation dinicult or so as to leavean unattractive ridge or groove in the bread slices after it has been separated. "The actual width of the strip must nec essarily depend largely on the texture of the bread as it is obvious that some of the tougher breads like rye bread may be provided with nar- 30 rower strips than the more brittle breads. The knives-may. be so positioned as to reduce the strips to a' minimum or to eliminate them entirely. I I

The. machine which I have shown in Figures ,1

ters, The drive shaft is shown at it and this is rotatedthrough' the drive connection l9 connected with any suitable source of power. The 40 endless platform 2!! passes over the driving roller 2| and, over the idler 22 bothjof which arejour- 'nalled in the platform II. The driving roller 2| has secured theretoa pulley 23which is driven through a belt orothersuitable driving connection 24 from a pulley on the shaft It. The endlessplatform 20 is provided with projections 25 so that loaves of bread which areldeposited on the platform 20 are automatically carried toward the cutters. The cutters it are connected directly to the drive shaft l8 but the cutters i5 are driven'through spur gears 26 and 2'! conmeeting the shafts l1 and [8. The endless platform 20 carries the loaves toward the cutting knives but this platform alone is not sufficient to r the bread is received in the home for use it is lying in a common plane.

carry the loaves through the cutting knives. For this reason I have provided an additional conveyor 28 which cooperates directly with the cutters. The endless conveyor travels over the idlers 29 and over the driving roller 30, the roller 30 being driven by means of driving connections with a pulley on the shaft l8. The endless conveyor 28 is provided with a pluralityof arms 3| having a definite relation to the cutters. These arms are so positioned that they pass through between pairs of adjacent cutters as shown in Figure 2. The result is that at the delivery end of the endless platform 20 the loavesare engaged by a plurality of the, arms 3| which tend to straighten out the position of theloaves so that they will enter the cutters at right" angles to the cutters. These arms 3| also exert'pressure on the loaves until the loaves have passed entirely through the cutting mechanism after which they are elevated as shown in Figure 1, leaving the sliced loaf in position for further sliding movement on the platform ll due to the pressure of the loaves in therear. The pressure of the arms 31 is exertedagainst the edge of each slice of the bread. r

' The knives l5 and I6 are secured firmly to the shafts 11 andl8 respectively. The knives are arranged in pairs, the two knives of eachpair The knives must be truedto occupy planes which are perpendicular to their shafts. The cutting edges of theknives may have a smooth bevel or they may be serrated in any desirable manner. The cutting edge as shown in Figure 3 is my preferred form of cutting edge, this being the edgebest adapted for the cutting of bread. 1

In Figure 41 show a loaf of bread as it appears after it has passed through the cutters. The slices are all separated except for a narrow strip of bread which causes the slices to adhere to each other. When the bread leaves the cutter the loaves may be wrapped in the usual manner either manually or mechanically. The adhesion of the slices to eachother is sufilcient to prevent the accidental separation during wrapping or transportation or other handling. When only necessary to grasp the slices by their edges and to draw them away from the loaf; The bread in the body portion of the leaf is relatively brittle and it separates easily, the tougher portion of the strip being at the crusts. The loaf thus has superior advantages over'the loaf which is wholly sliced. A wholly sliced loaf is very difficult to handle in the wrapping machine without the use of accessories which slow down the process and which add to the cost of wrapping. The loaf shown in Figure 4 alsohas advantages during use. The wholly sliced loaf must be'carefully unwrapped in order to avoid the scatter ing of the slices and the tendency is to, throw the separated slices of bread into the bread box where their surfaces dry out rapidly. With .my loaL-however, the slices all adhere to each other and they are so close together that the drying out of the slicesis negligible. The partly used loaf may readily be wrapped in the wrapper in which the bread came and it may readily be stored in the bread box or in any other suitable place without danger of the bread drying out nor of the slices becoming accidentally separated.

Having thus described my invention in such full, clear, and exact terms that its construction and utility will be readily understood by others skilled in the art to. which it pertains,

what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A bread slicing machine including .a cutting mechanism comprising a plurality of uniformly spaced parallel pairs of cutters, the cutters of each pair of cutters being positioned in a common plane and being rotatable in opposite directions, and continuously operating means for pushing loaves of bread through said cutting mechanism, said means including a plurality of arms traveling, between each pair of adjacent cutters and adapted to engage the rear ends of the bread loaves, to force the loaves through the cutting mechanism and to discharge the cut loaves from the cutting mechanism. 1

2. A bread slicing machine including a cutting mechanism comprising a plurality of uniformly spaced parallel pairs of cutters, the cutters of each pair of cutters being positioned in a com mon plane and being rotatable in unison, and continuously operating means forpushing loaves of bread through said cutting mechanism, said means including a plurality of arms traveling between each pair of adjacent cutters and adapted to engage the rear sides of the bread loaves. to force the loaves through the cutting mechanism and to discharge the cut loaves from the cutting mechanism. l

' 3. A bread slicing machine including a cutting mechanism comprising a plurality of uniformly spaced parallel pairs ofcuttersthe cutters of each pair being positioned in a common plane and being rotatable in unison, and continuously operating means including" a plurality of'arms traveling between each pair of adjacent cutters for engaging the loavesof bread' as they pass through the cutting mechanism.

4. A bread slicing machine including a cutting mechanism comprising a plurality of uniformly spaced parallel pairs of cutters. the cutters of each pair being positioned in a common plane and being rotatable in unison, each pair of cutters being spaced'to leave a narrow uncut por-' tion inj'the loaf, and continuously operating means including a plurality of arms'traveling between each pair of adjacent cutters for engaging the loaves of bread as they pass through 'the' cutting mechanism.

5. A bread slicing machine including a cutting mechanism comprising a plurality of uniformly spacedparallel pairs of cutters, the cutters of each pair being positioned in a commonplane and being spaced apart to leave a narrow uncut portion in the loaf, and means for rotating' said cutters in unison, and continuously operating means including a plurality of arms traveling be 

